Research
Focus Areas
AAI performs interdisciplinary research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) of multi-domain autonomous vehicle systems in the areas of agricultural production, agricultural processing, and agricultural research.
Facilities
Offices and Lab Space
AAI is headquartered in the Pace Seed Technology Building on the main campus of MSU in Starkville, MS. In addition to the main office suite, AAI shares the newly renovated 4,800 sq. ft. Autonomy Lab with MSU’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE). The Autonomy Lab serves as AAI’s “Skunk Works,” providing space for controlled testing of autonomous systems. It includes office space for staff members and students focused on agricultural autonomy, and the adjacent Mechatronics lab provides the researchers space to design, build, and test components.
Autonomous Acres Proving Ground
The Autonomous Acres Proving Ground is a 5-acre tract located at the R. R. Foil Plant Science Research Center, commonly known as MSU’s “North Farm”. Through the support of the Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), and in conjunction with ABE, Autonomous Acres offers a dedicated site for real-world agricultural tests.
Collaborators
AAI serves as a clearinghouse for interdisciplinary collaboration among public and private stakeholders.
External to MSU, AAI is partnering with various corporations and universities around the world on Agricultural Autonomy research and workforce development.
Internal to MSU, AAI manages the Ag Autonomy Working Group, a team of roughly 40 faculty members and administrators from across MSU including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the Bagley College of Engineering (BCoE), and other MSU centers and institutes such as the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), the Geosystems Research Institute (GRI), the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL), the High Performance Computing Collaboratory (HPCC), the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), and the Center for Cyber Innovation (CCI).
Administration
As MSU’s newest university-level Institute, AAI is jointly administered under the MSU Office of Research & Economic Development (ORED) and the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, & Veterinary Medicine (DAFVM).
